Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity AI, delivered a candid wake-up call this week: continuous scrolling through reels and doomscrolling Instagram are costing careers. Instead, he urges young professionals to master AI tools now.
A Clear Warning, Delivered Directly
Speaking to ET and on tech podcasts, Srinivas emphasized the shrinking window for adaptability:
“Spend less time doomscrolling on Instagram; spend more time using the AIs.”
He points out that while AI updates every 3–6 months, human learning often lags creating a widening skills gap.
What Career Futures Look Like Right Now
- Roles dedicated to repetitive tasks such as scheduling, candidate screening, and basic coordination will be replaced by AI.
- The imperative is clear: those who adopt AI tools will become more employable, while those who don’t are at risk of being sidelined.
From Passive Users to Productive Builders
Srinivas is pragmatic about the shift. He sees two possible paths for those affected: upskill on AI or apply AI to launch something new. He remarked that many will lose jobs—but others will start companies or find roles in AI-enhanced teams.
Why This Matters Today
- AI fluency isn’t a nice-to-have it’s becoming a baseline requirement for the next generation of professionals.
- While tools like Perplexity’s Comet browser (now in private beta) are already automating jobs, broader adoption is accelerating.
- Entrepreneurs and startups face the reality: build AI-aware products, or risk irrelevance.
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